What Clackamas houses look like
Clackamas, around Sunnyside Road, Highway 212, Clackamas Town Center and the neighborhoods off 82nd Drive, was built out mostly from the 1960s through the 1990s. That means a lot of ranches, split-levels and two-story tract homes. The siding is typically cedar lap that has gone gray and soft, T1-11 plywood panels, or hardboard lap from the 1980s and 1990s. Each fails in its own way.
T1-11 goes at the bottom edge and at nail lines, where water wicks into plywood. Old cedar lap rots where it touches the ground, a roof line or a deck. Hardboard swells and flakes once its paint film breaks. In every case the pattern is the same: water gets in, usually at a joint that was not flashed, and the damage appears months or years later at the lowest point of the wall.
Weather and where it hits
Clackamas is a bit more sheltered than the Gorge-facing parts of East County, but it is still a wet, moss-friendly climate with 150-plus rain days a year. North-facing walls and anything under tall firs stay damp. Nearby cottonwoods and maples drop leaves into valleys and gutters, and overflow runs straight down the siding.
Roof-to-wall joints are the usual culprits. Where a lower roof meets a wall, kick-out flashing is supposed to throw water into the gutter. When it is missing, water runs behind the siding and rots the wall below. We see this on homes of every age here.
Which jurisdiction handles your permit
This is where Clackamas confuses people. It is not an incorporated city. Depending on the address, you may be in unincorporated Clackamas County, or in Happy Valley, Milwaukie or Portland. Clackamas County offers an online mapping tool that shows the jurisdiction for any parcel, and its Building Codes office handles permits in the unincorporated areas. Check with the correct office about whether your project needs one. We do not state fees. See also our guide on siding permits.
What we offer
- Siding replacement with James Hardie fiber cement, including HardiePlank cedarmill lap if you want a cedar look without the upkeep.
- Real cedar siding when you want to match an original look.
- Dry rot and siding repair when the damage is limited.
- Trim, soffit and fascia, and windows and sliding doors.
Not sure what you need? Read the signs of dry rot and the cost guide, which explains what drives a siding price in this region.
Why call Dave
Dave Shaffer runs Six-Point Siding, a small family business based in Gresham. He is a second-generation sider with about 40 years on the wall, and he is on every job himself. The company is licensed, bonded and insured under Oregon CCB #153635, licensed since 2002. Hardie siding comes with the manufacturer’s warranty.
A lot of Clackamas homes were built the same way in the same decade, so Dave knows what is probably behind your siding before he takes the first board off.
Call or text Dave: 503-260-7647. The estimate is free.
Clackamas siding questions
Is Clackamas a city with its own building department?
Clackamas is an area name, not an incorporated city. Many addresses with a Clackamas mailing address are in unincorporated Clackamas County, but some are inside Happy Valley, Milwaukie or Portland. Clackamas County has an online mapping tool that shows which jurisdiction a property is in. Check that first, then ask that office about permits.
My 1970s house has T1-11 siding that is peeling at the bottom. Do I replace it?
Not always. T1-11 is plywood siding, and it usually fails at the bottom edge and around windows where water sits. If the damage is limited to those spots, siding repair can buy years. If most of the wall is soft or delaminated, replacement with Hardie or cedar is the better investment. Dave can tell which you have in a free visit.
Should I replace siding and windows together?
If the windows are old and leaking, usually yes. Pulling the siding to flash a new window correctly costs less than doing it twice. Dave installs windows and sliding doors as well as siding, so one crew handles both.
What about hardboard or composite siding from the 1990s?
Hardboard siding from that era is known to swell and break down when water gets to it, especially at lower courses and edges. If you can see swelling or crumbling, plan on replacement rather than repainting.